Ispıt (Rumex acetosa, wild sorrel, Black Sea sorrel) Calories

Cook Ispıt by washing and chopping the leaves and stems, then sautéing them with onion or briefly boiling them before adding them to a dish. It is commonly served as a cooked green, sometimes with eggs.

Trim away tough or damaged parts, then rinse Ispıt thoroughly in several changes of water to remove soil. The leaves and stems can hold grit, so give chopped pieces a final rinse before cooking.

For Ispıt kavurması, sauté onion, add cleaned and chopped Ispıt, and cook until tender; add a little water if the pan gets dry. Some home cooks stir in eggs near the end.

Ispıt can be eaten raw, but it is more commonly cooked in Black Sea cooking. Its leaves and stems may be firm uncooked, so wash them carefully and try a small amount first if adding them to a salad.

Ispıt is most commonly gathered in spring, when its fresh shoots are young and tender. It is a seasonal wild green, so availability in markets and foragers’ baskets can vary by location and year.

Yes, Ispıt can be frozen for later cooking. Clean and briefly blanch it, cool it quickly, drain it well, and pack it in portions. Freezing the greens thoroughly drained helps avoid excess ice in the package.

Keep fresh Ispıt unwashed in the refrigerator, loosely wrapped in a breathable bag or cloth. Moisture can make the leaves deteriorate faster, so wash it just before use and cook it within a few days.

Ispıt is not spinach, though both can be cooked as leafy greens. Ispıt has a distinct, mildly sharp green taste and is especially associated with Black Sea dishes such as sautéed greens and savory fillings.

Ispıt works well in kavurma, egg dishes, savory pastries, and other cooked green dishes. In Black Sea-style meals, serve it as a side or use it as a filling; cook the stems until tender.